Friday, 27 March 2015

The Cephalopod Coffeehouse: March 2015

Welcome one and all to the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, a cozy gathering of
book lovers, meeting to discuss their thoughts regarding the tomes they
enjoyed most over the previous month. Pull up a chair, order your
cappuccino and join in the fun.http://armchairsquid.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/the-cephalopod-coffeehouse-march-2015.html

Work commitments and family have taken up a lot of my time this month but I have been able to indulge in my passion for reading. I've read six books this month and all would be worth a mention but I am going to concentrate on Ratham Creek by Marie F. Martin.

I would give this book a 4* rating only losing the fifth star because I feel it could have been longer.

Book
Description from Amazon

Publication Date: 7 Nov. 2014

Unexpectedly widowed and left destitute, Arianne
Hollis retreats to a remote area of Montana and struggles to build a new life.
She becomes acquainted with clannish mountain people and newcomers,
only to find herself sucked into a feud between them. Then she becomes a
target. Will Arianne give into the same vengeance that corrupts the clan?

MY REVIEW

After Arianne is left widowed and
due to her husband’s debts she has to sell her house, her children are grown
and abroad so it is left to Arianne to sort her life out.

Once the decision is made Arianne
purchases a cottage in the mountains and bravely starts her life alone.

Exploring the mountains she is in
danger from a bear and saved by a stranger.Little does she know that this event will be a momentous occasion in her
life.

Ross has spent his life in the
mountains; his family are mountain people, close knit, clannish, and very loyal
to each other.Their business is logging
which is slowly being eroded by various schemes of outsiders, business men who
want to make a fast profit.

The author has written this book,
although not as long as other books being under 200 pages, that keeps this UK
reader transported to the mountains and the way of life found there.

There is drama, love, death,
rough justice, some violence although not gratuitous, family relationships that
can go up and down with emotions running high. There are beautifully written
descriptions of the landscape making it easy to imagine the scenes in your
mind.

Every moment spare moment I had
was spent reading this book, thoroughly enjoyable.

Kate looked around the kitchen,
gave the counter top one last wipe, checked the oven with the lasagne inside
that was heating up nicely, the salad was prepared and chilling in the fridge,
the dressing ready to hand on the side, the French baguette was on the bread board
ready for slicing, the butter at room temperature, the wine bottle, bought at an extravagant cost from *The Chapel Down Winery, a local vineyard,
unusual in England and not always the best wine but part of the evening’s
entertainment.

It was a year ago that she was in
Paris with Luke, a last minute weekend trip that he whisked her away on. It was
such a romantic gesture; Luke was very good at the big gestures, larger than
life but it didn't last, not once it was back to the living day-to-day stuff.

Luke had wined and dined her and they
strolled along the streets of Paris, her arm
pulled through his, she remembered the ripple of his muscles that sent
tingles along her skin.It was so
romantic.They sauntered along the paths
and then on to a bridge with padlocks entwined through the grills.They stopped and stared reading everyone that
they could.

Everybody had taken on the
romance of the gestures, padlocks with the names of couples on them, there were
pictures of weddings, boys and girls with their arms around each other, even
older and even more mature couples had joined in the fun.What great stories were encased in those
thoughts and hopes and dreams for the future lives of those hopeless romantics,
pictures had been taken and circulated all over Facebook and social media.Kate and Luke even took a ‘selfie’ and posted
it.

Kate poured herself half a glass
of wine, just to sip while the hands on the kitchen clock slowly moved around
to the appointed hour.Luke would be
late, he always was.She’d bought him a
fantastic watch to help with his time-keeping but that hadn’t worked.He never wore it; he said he could use his
phone to see what the time was.

How he kept down such a fantastic
job in the city she didn't know but he was a rising star in his firm although
she could see the toll it was taking on him.There were many occasions when he stayed over, she would watch him
sleeping peacefully next to her and as she studied his face she could see the frown lines on his forehead deepening
as every month passed.

This evening was going to change
their lives.It wouldn’t be a grand,
romantic gesture but it would be a loving escalation of their partnership.She couldn’t wait to tell him and didn't know
how she could wait even a minute longer.

His key turned in the lock. One look
at his face and her dreams shattered.

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

Write a 500 word (give or take) story related to the prompt (either 2 photos or 1 photo/5 words)

In the case of 5 Words your words must be clearly indicated in the story

Please
remember the photos used are the property of the WWBH Host in question
(unless otherwise stated). While you are welcome to use the photo in
your blogpost, please do not share as your own works (credit is very
much appreciated).

Photo credit: Tena

And Your Five Words:

Mine

Resemble

Messenger

Crew

Gaunt

Please make
mention that your story is for the Writer Wednesday Blog Hop (WWBH).
While not required, a link to the hop is appreciated. Also appreciated
is if you tag your story WWBH

Here is my story:

It really wasn't fair.Gareth was always the messenger; he was always the one they picked on to trek up the
lonely road to his grandparents’ place, just because he was the oldest boy.There were telegraph poles lined along the
dirt track, in this day and age they could have at least installed a
telephone.Grandpa and grandma didn't
even have a television.Gareth had no
idea what they did all day; they were just two old folks who shuffled along in
their tiny wooden shack that for some reason they refused to leave.

His friends at school often dared
him to take them out there.They had
heard the rumours of an old gold mine
up in the mountains, they talked of the gold that must be left in the old shaft,
they could make a day of it and pan for gold in the river and then they would
all be rich.

Billy and Joe and Pete discussed
the merits of such an endeavour with Gareth.They said they would be his crew and
promised he could be their leader.Gareth took it all in, he thought long and hard about it and especially
today as he cycled along the uneven road, the speed limit sign mocked him, as
if he could cycle that fast, he was only ten years old, his legs weren't
powerful enough.When he was older
maybe, he could build up his muscles and stamina and maybe he could resemble Bradley Wiggins the famous cyclist
he saw on the telly, thin powerful legs, pumping away in rhythm with the
pounding of his heart.

Gareth reached the cabin and
called out to his grandparents.A
wavering wail came from within the wooden walls.He stepped in to the dark and gloomy interior
and saw his grandpa sitting in the rocking chair, a gaunt expression on his face.He was holding a picture of his grandma in his hands.

‘She’s gone, lad, gone.’ His
grandfather had tears mingling in amongst his whiskery beard.‘Last night she breathed her last.’

Gareth stared and stared at his
grandpa. He didn't know what to do.He
moved to the settee and sat down amongst the piles of cushions his grandma
always kept plumped up.He looked again
at his grandpa who was still rocking, back and forth, back and forth.

About Me

I’m a woman of a certain age with grown up children who have children of their own.
I was lucky enough to find love a second time and have been happily married to my wonderful Dave for 11years now.
Having had some health issues I appreciate my family more and more each day.